David Commissions Solomon
And David assembled to Jerusalem all the officials of Israel: the officials of the tribes, and the officials of the divisions serving the king, and the commanders of the thousands, and the commanders of the hundreds, and the officials over all the property and livestock of the king and of his sons, together with the court officers and the mighty men — every mighty man of valor.
And David the king rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I — it was with my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God; and I made preparation to build.
But God said to me: You shall not build a house for my name, for you are a man of wars, and you have shed blood.
And the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father, he was pleased with me, to make me king over all Israel.
And of all my sons — for the LORD has given me many sons — he chose Solomon my son, to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
And he said to me: Solomon your son — he is the one who will build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him for myself as a son, and I will be a father to him.
And I will establish his kingdom forever — if he holds strong to do my commandments and my judgments, as on this day.
And now, in the eyes of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the ears of our God: keep and seek all the commandments of the LORD your God — so that you may possess the good land, and pass it on as an inheritance to your sons after you, forever.
And you, Solomon my son — know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing soul; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every shape of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will cast you off forever.
See now — for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and act.”
The Plans for the Temple
And David gave Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and its houses, and its treasuries, and its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and the house of the atonement cover;
and the pattern of all that was with him by the spirit: for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the chambers around, for the treasuries of the house of God and for the treasuries of the holy things;
and for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of the service of the house of the LORD:
for the gold, by weight of gold for all the vessels of each kind of service; for all the vessels of silver, by weight, for all the vessels of each kind of service;
and the weight for the lampstands of gold and their lamps of gold, by the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and for the lampstands of silver, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand;
and the gold, by weight, for the tables of the arrangement, for each table; and silver for the tables of silver;
and the forks, and the bowls, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden basins, by weight for each basin; and for the silver basins, by weight for each basin;
and for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and for the pattern of the chariot — the cherubim of gold, spreading out and covering over the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
“All of it in writing, from the hand of the LORD upon me — he gave me insight into all the works of the pattern.”
And David said to Solomon his son: “Be strong and courageous, and act. Do not fear, and do not be shattered — for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not let you go, and he will not abandon you, until all the work of the service of the house of the LORD is finished.
And look — the divisions of the priests and the Levites are here for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work is everyone willing, with skill, for every service; and the officials and all the people are at your every word.”